Goa, Nov. 14 -- Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda has pushed back against the political uproar surrounding his recent exchange of Diwali and Gujarati New Year greetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that personal courtesy should not be conflated with political alignment. Speaking in an exclusive interview with NDTV, Pitroda expressed surprise at the intense media and political scrutiny triggered by their cordial interaction on social media platform X.

The exchange began after PM Modi sent festive wishes to Pitroda and his wife, Anjana, addressing him warmly as "Sam Bhai." Pitroda reciprocated the gesture, thanking "Narendra Bhai" and wishing him good health. Addressing the resulting buzz, Pitroda described the int...